Jury selection begins Tuesday in the case of Dejuan Hammond, who is accused of hiring Steven Pettway to kill Troya Sheckles.

Jury selection begins Tuesday in the case of Dejuan Hammond, who is accused of hiring Steven Pettway to kill Troya Sheckles.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 9:13 PM EDT Aug 26, 2014

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT MURDER CASE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME DEJUAN HAMMOND HAS STOOD TRIAL FOR THE DEATH OF A WITNESS IN A MURDER CASE. W-L-K-Y'S MARK VANDERHOFF IS IN THE NEWSROOM WITH HOW SOME EARLY DEVELOPMENTS COULD AFFECT THIS ONE... MARK? MISSING EVIDENCE. WITNESSES WHO DON'T WANT TO TESTIFY. THESE WERE THEMES IN DEJUAN HAMMOND'S FIRST TWO TRIALS... AND THEY HAVE ALREADY RESURFACED IN THIS ONE. Judge Angela McCormick Bisig: If you make a conscious decision not to come and swear and oath to tell the truth and give honest testimony then you can be found in contempt of court. THAT WAS JUDGE ANGELA MCCORMICK BISIG TALKING TO JAMES HICKMAN. HICKMAN, WHO IS BEHIND BARS ON AN ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE, HAS BEEN CALLED TO TESTIFY IN DEJUAN HAMMOND'S TRIAL. BUT HE SAYS HE WILL NOT TAKE THE STAND. HAMMOND IS ACCUSED OF HIRING STEVEN PETTWAY TO KILL TROYA SHECKLES IN 2009. SHE WAS A WITNESS WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO TESTIFY AGAINST HAMMOND'S BROTHER, LLOYD, IN ANOTHER MURDER TRIAL. PETTWAY WAS CONVICTED LAST YEAR AND SENTENCED TO 55 YEARS IN PRISON. BUT HAMMOND'S FIRST TRIAL NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND... BECAUSE THREE WITNESSES DIDN'T SHOW UP. HICKMAN AND ANOTHER WITNESS, IKE KINNISON, WHO IS ALSO IN JAIL, ALSO REFUSED TO TESTIFY AGAINST HAMMOND IN HIS SECOND TRIAL. Ted Shouse: There's an issue that's come up regarding witnesses and I think both parties agree that we'd be better off knowing Mr. Kinnison's intent before we begin jury selection. ANOTHER CONCERN... TED SHOUSE, HAMMOND'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY... SAYS THERE ARE PROBLEMS TRACKING DOWN 84 PAGES OF EVIDENCE. THAT EVIDENCE WAS FROM LLOYD HAMMOND'S MURDER TRIAL... SO IT'S UNCLEAR HOW IT WILL AFFECT THIS TRIAL. PROSECUTOR JIM LESOUSKY SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THOSE PAGES. Jim Lesousky: I don't anticipate anything was done wrong. We were both interested in accessing the file for the same reasons. THIS ISSUE COULD BE IMPORTANT BECAUSE HAMMOND'S SECOND TRIAL WAS DECLARED A MISTRIAL. THAT HAPPENED WHEN PROSECUTORS DISCOVERED MISSING EVIDENCE HAD NOT BEEN TURNED OVER TO DEFENSE ATTORNEYS. DEPENDING ON HOW FAST JURY SELECTION GOES, OPENING ARGUMENTS COULD BEGIN TOMORROW. MARK VANDERHOFF, W-L-K-Y NEWS.

Jury selection begins in Dejuan Hammond case

Jury selection begins Tuesday in the case of Dejuan Hammond, who is accused of hiring Steven Pettway to kill Troya Sheckles.